


Reformation

by AnansiAnansi



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Catholic School, Clexa Endgame, F/F, Loss of Faith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25396252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnansiAnansi/pseuds/AnansiAnansi
Summary: Clarke Griffin is miserable; after the death of her father, she has been forced to move in her final year of high school. She's gone from one Catholic school to another, where she barely has any friends, and she's sure that Class President Lexa Woods, the one girl she has a giant and inescapable crush on, and who happens to be a stickler for the same rules Clarke detests and thwarts regularly, absolutely hates her guts. So, with two weeks to prom, and by everything that's holy, what is she going to do?
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 96
Kudos: 261





	1. Chapter 1

She had almost made it; she had one more back street to run up, two quick corners to turn, and she would arrive at the rickety side entrance to school. Cutting through the sisters’ vegetable garden - an absolute death wish at any time unless they were, like now, otherwise occupied with morning assembly - it was about a five minute walk to the hall. Glancing down at her watch, Clarke heaved a sigh of relief; she just needed to put her backpack away, and she’d be able to slip into the back row of the chapel. Her lips rose in a smirk; _good job, Griffin_. The one thing she could genuinely say she enjoyed about St. Zelda’s was its sheer boring predictability. She was definitely in the clear today; Sister Nia and Co. would be too busy leading choir service, and there was no way they would notice her missing. Like she had quickly learned after the first few times of missing assembly, the only thing that mattered was role call. 

She slipped into the very back pew just as the last verse of the hymn began; looking over, she winked at Raven, who only shook her head, wryly, and nodded as Clarke mouthed her thanks for the seat she had saved her. She glanced around quickly; Sister Nia, her back to the rows of identically clad students in plaid skirts, crisp white shirts ironed within an inch of their lives and perfectly knotted black ties, stood with raised hands for extra dramatic effect as she belted out the last words of the song. The rest of the nuns followed suit, their mouths forming perfectly rounded, practiced _Os_ as they carried the hymn to its final crescendo. Clarke looked around at the rest of the students, mumbling the words along under her breath; knowing the hymn and pretending sonorous ecstasy at eight thirty in the morning were two completely different things. Luckily, at least some of her schoolmates seemed to feel the same. Octavia was trying hard to swallow a yawn, and Raven was holding her hymnal upside down. She hid a smile and looked down at her own book. A couple of seconds later, she raised her head to the right, only to be left looking straight into calm, clear pools of deepest green; and just like it had every day for the year that she had been at St. Zelda’s, the sight of Lexa Woods sent her heart racing straight to her mouth.

She let her eyes run over the beautiful face that haunted her and chased sleep away night after night; how she had lain awake for hours thinking of those lips, and conjuring up the sounds she could coax from that perfect mouth. She felt her face flushing even now, and she shyly tucked a few blonde locks behind her ear, letting a small smile escape her. It was wiped off her face just as suddenly. Grinding her teeth together, Lexa Woods, Class President and the object of her uncontrollable affections, let a small frown crease her high forehead as she turned away and looked straight ahead, settling back into her impassivity effortlessly. _Wow._ In spite of a year of something like this, Clarke still couldn’t push the hurt away fast enough. Why in the world did the girl she hadn’t stopped thinking of since the day she had set foot in this godforsaken place hate her guts so damn much? 

Sister Nia’s nasal voice rang out over the microphone. “Students, and this is your final reminder that prom permission slips must be signed and submitted by no later than this Friday. Failing which of course, you will not be permitted to attend.” Sister Nia paused, her nose rising in the air just a little, as if waiting to sniff out the reactions of the students. There were none. Clarke fought to keep a straight face at the momentary frown on her face. “Well then, that will be all. Assembly is dismissed.” Clarke turned and began shuffling out of the chapel hall with the rest of the class. A few seconds later, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Seriously, Clarke, that’s what, the fourth time this month?” Raven fell into pace beside her. “And you’ve only got detention like what, twice? That’s a new record for you.”

Clarke shoved Raven gently. “Shut up, Ray. Just another late night; lost track of time and stayed up too long.”

“Suuure.” Raven rolled her eyes. “Clarke, we have one more month. Then we’re done with this place. Can you please not get suspended like two weeks before prom?”

Clarke shrugged. “The only part of that sentence that appeals to me is the getting out of here. I’m going to be scarred for life after this.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Most people only have to deal with one type of Catholic school guilt. Only the lucky few of us get to do two.” She would never understand why her mother had insisted she come to St. Zelda’s when they had moved here after her dad’s death. (“There’s a perfectly good public school down the street, Mom.” “Yes, darling, but you’ve been in Catholic school your whole life; it’s only one more year.”) Secretly, she thought her mother didn’t want to have to deal with her “delinquencies” as they were called; she would leave that to the nuns to grapple with. Clarke frowned, walking next to Raven in silence. She didn’t give a shit what they thought. None of this had saved her father; why should she pretend that any of it mattered, then?

“You are coming to prom, right? Did you get your slip signed?”

Clarke shrugged, “Yeah, but I mean, what’s the point? Who do I have to go with?” 

Raven paused to look at her, as they reached their lockers. “Just ask her, Clarke.”

Clarke shook her head vigorously. “Are you kidding me, Raven? She hates me; she’s said like three sentences to me all year.” Clarke began rummaging through her locker. “Besides, do you really think Lexa-stick-in-the-mud Woods would dare to show up to prom with a _girl_?”

Raven fished out her math textbook from the back of her locker. “You never know, Clarke. I’ve known her my whole school life here, and she’s always been reserved. But then, she’s never shown an interest in anybody or anything. Except school and sports.” Raven paused. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think she hates _you_ ; she just doesn’t really like anyone. Except Anya; they were good friends.”

Clarke sighed. “This would all be so much easier if this stupid crush would go away.” 

“Or you could ask Niylah. Girl has been crazy about you since the day you stepped foot here.” 

Clarke shook her head. “Nah, Niylah’s sweet, but…”

“You’re just not that into her?” 

“No.” Clarke bit her lip. “Uuuuuugh. Maybe I’ll just end up going with a St. Theo’s boy and….”

“....leave room for Jesus!” They both chorused Sister Nia’s oft-used saying when it came to interacting with the neighbouring boys’ school. Bursting into a fit of giggles, they stopped dead in their tracks. Sister Nia stood before them, looking down at a clipboard, perusing what looked like the assembly role call list. And beside her, arms behind her back, taut as a board herself, stood Lexa.

“Ah, Miss Griffin, just the person I was looking for.” Sister Nia’s exaggeratedly sinister tone made her think of a bad cartoon villain. “I see you’ve missed morning assembly _again._ ” She scrolled across the page, counting something. “Which makes it the fourth time this month, and the….seventeenth time this year.” She looked up, almost triumphantly. “And that, combined with the various class disruptions this year…”

“If by class disruptions you mean asking Sister Florence why she refused to talk about gender and sexual identities in sex ed….” Clarke blurted out, before she could stop herself. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Lexa’s eyes snapped to her; Clarke had her full attention.

Raven put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. She took a deep breath.

Sister Nia’s nostrils flared. “Like I was saying, your multiple disruptions, coupled with the disciplinary warnings and detentions, make it so that I believe today’s infraction leads to automatic suspension until the exam period.” She clicked her ballpoint pen closed with satisfaction. “Starting immediately.”

“Sister Nia! We’re two weeks from prom! Please!” Raven tried and failed to keep her tone level.

“That’s not fair, and you know it!” Clarke’s furious voice rang out in the hallway. “I was there all three times. I was present for role call!”

Sister Nia’s lips were pressed together in a thin line. “Role call is _before_ assembly now. We’ve instated a new policy, which you would know if you had attended the last three Tuesdays.”

Clarke glared at Sister Nia, wondering if calling the head of the school a bully was reason enough to get expelled. She felt the skin on her cheeks prickling with heat, and her eyes were beginning to cloud over from tears of rage. 

“She was there. I saw her.” Clarke blinked at the interruption, not registering where it came from. Sister Nia looked equally confused.

“Clarke was present at both assemblies, Sister Nia.” Lexa cleared her throat and spoke again. “And today’s, too.” Her eyes bore into Clarke’s.

Sister Nia eyed Lexa suspiciously. “Are you certain about this, Miss Woods? How would Sister Margarita miss marking down Miss Griffin three separate times?”

Clarke watched Lexa shifting from foot to foot. What was she going to say? And why was she even sticking up for her?

Lexa looked down at the sheet a few moments, then pointed to a few spots. “Well, as you can see, Sister Margarita’s recording technique isn’t exactly perfect. There are a number of places here with entries scratched out, or re-entered. It's impossible to tell what she marked, and who she missed.” Lexa crossed her arms. “And Sister Margarita sits at the front of the hall. The back pews are not entirely visible from there, as you know, Sister. Clarke’s seat could well be one of the ones hidden from view.”

Clarke was gaping at Lexa now, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. Sister Nia’s lips had completely disappeared from her face, so tightly were they pressed against each other. She grunted. “Miss Woods, as Class President, do you vouch for Miss Griffin’s presence at morning assembly on the three days in question?”

Lexa squared her shoulders, looking straight at Sister Nia. “I do.” She nodded once, firmly.

Sister Nia began walking away. “Very well. Miss Griffin, you will be credited those three days. You do however, have detention for the last time you disrupted Sister Florence’s class. Today. And I would tread carefully if I were you.” Sister Nia’s sharp nose seemed to cut into the air as she turned her face to Lexa. “And, I expect you won’t mind supervising detention today, Miss Woods?” Her terse footsteps echoed down the hall, as Clarke and Lexa stood staring at each other. 

Raven was the first to break the silence. “Holy crap, Woods, nicely done.” She said, once Sister Nia was safely out of earshot. “I can’t believe she fell for that.”

“She didn’t.” Lexa’s tone was clipped. “She just couldn’t prove otherwise.”

Clarke ran a hand through her hair. “I, umm, thanks, Lexa. You didn’t have to put yourself out there for me.” 

“I know.” Lexa said curtly. “I guess I’ll see you this afternoon in Mount Weather.” She paused. “It’s 102, in case you need the room number.” Swivelling on her heels, she was gone in a few long strides, her perfectly polished black oxfords clicking against the marble hallway floors.

“What the fuck was that?” Clarke asked, trying to process what had just happened.

Raven shrugged as she walked into their classroom. “Weird. It was weird.” She waited till Clarke had slipped into the seat next to her. “But hey, I guess she doesn’t hate you after all?”

Clarke didn’t respond as she worried her bottom lip. Whatever Lexa was up to, she was going to find out after school. 


	2. Chapter 2

“How long are you going to be stuck with Lexa?" 

Clarke stuffed the books she needed for the evening’s homework in her bag. Turning to shut her locker, she changed her mind and reached in for her sketchbook and set of drawing pencils. “The usual, I’m guessing? An hour?” 

“Maybe this was all a ploy on Lexa’s part to get you alone and confess her undying love for you.”

Clarke snorted, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Right. Lexa will probably try to have us stay extra and insist on being completely silent the whole time just so she can prove herself to Sister Nia.”

“Hey, at least you finally get to spend some time alone with your girl.” 

“She’s not my girl, Raven. Maybe this will help me finally see just how much we’re _not_ meant to be.”

Raven stopped with her hand on the front door. “Talk to her, Clarke. She obviously stood up for you for a reason.” Waving, she began walking out. “Text me later.”

Clarke nodded, and turned towards the corridor on the left, her steps echoing down the empty hallway as she made her way to Mount Weather. It was an older classroom at the very end of the school building, tucked away from the main wing, and mostly used during exams, or by the Debate Club. Come to think of it, she was quite sure Lexa was part of that club. Clarke wasn’t sure why she had picked it though, instead of sticking to the usual detention room by Sister Nia’s office. Walking up to it, she leaned against the ungainly wooden door and pushed it open with force; the damn thing was positively medieval in its build. What Clarke didn’t expect was for it to swing open almost effortlessly, so that she was thrown forward into absolute weightlessness, completely off balance. She realised, just as she saw the room come into focus, that she was destined to fall flat on her face, backpack and all, and there was nothing to stop it from happening. She braced herself for the impact, turning her head to one side instinctively, shielding her face from the worst of it.

Except, she felt herself crash into something soft and solid at once, and instead of the unyieldingness of marble, it was fabric she felt against her cheek. And Clarke realized she wasn’t free falling anymore, but instead she was being held up, surrounded by something strong, comfortable and yet, so very relaxing. She was disoriented but thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in her surprise cocoon for a few seconds, until she realised she was resting against...a body, with arms wrapped firmly around her. She looked up, confused.

“Oh. Hi, Lexa.” She stepped away quickly, putting some space in between them. She tried to ignore the disappointment she felt in her bones, as if she was depriving them of something fundamental to their makeup.

“Um, hi. Sorry, I heard you walking over and thought I would help with the door. And then you were falling…” Lexa trailed off, her usually sombre face flushing the prettiest shade of pink.

 _Oh, if you had any idea how far I’ve fallen already._ Clarke shook the thought away and cleared her throat. “Yeah, this door is a doozy. Anyway, thanks, again. That’s the second time you’ve kept me out of trouble today.” She decided to push a little bit more. “Don’t let that become a habit or anything now.”

Lexa seemed to have regained some of her usual stone-faced composure, but her flush still remained. “I’ll try.” Her eyes searched Clarke’s, and she bit her lip, looking as if she wanted to say more. Then, she turned abruptly, and led Clarke into the room. “Pick wherever, obviously. And I’ll leave you alone, if you um, want to draw and stuff.”

Clarke had made her way over to a desk in the corner that overlooked the old weeping willow. She turned her head to look at Lexa sharply. “How do you know I like to draw?” Clarke saw a flash of panic skitter past Lexa’s eyes; if she hadn’t been watching her intently, she would never even have noticed it. “I mean, it’s a small school.” Lexa shrugged, trying to keep up her nonchalance, but Clarke was intrigued by what she had glimpsed beneath it. She nodded, settling into her seat, and opened up her sketchpad. Two could play this game. Pulling out her pencils, she took her time, humming softly underneath her breath, running her fingers over the pencils as she mulled over which one to pick. She looked out the window, watching the pendulous swishing of the willow’s branchlets, debating how best to capture them. And through it all, she completely ignored Lexa, who she could see, from the corner of her eye, was trying hard not to look her way.

“Do you have what you need?” Clarke raised her eyebrows at Lexa, who waved a hand in her direction. “For your sketch. The view.” 

“Are you always this chatty with your detainees?” Clarke countered, just as a realization hit her. “Wait a minute, you’ve never been asked to “supervise” detention before, have you?” She held up her hands in air quotes.

Lexa hesitated, then shook her head in a _no_.

“Then why did Sister Nia ask you to, today?”

A wry smirk crossed Lexa’s face. “Isn’t it obvious? This is her way of punishing me, too.”

“For sticking up for me?”

“For crossing her.” Lexa shrugged.

“Man, what a bitch.” Clarke’s eyes went wide. “I mean, I’m sorry, if you think I shouldn’t say that about her or whatever.”

At that, Lexa’s face broke into what Clarke was sure was one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. She watched it bring the sparkle into Lexa’s eyes, and felt her own face echo Lexa’s. “You can say that again.” Lexa said, softly. They gazed at each other again, until Lexa broke off eye contact and looked away. _Oh, no, no, not so soon_.

“Why are we here?” Clarke asked, trying to keep up the connection. “This isn’t the usual detention room.” She watched Lexa hesitate again for a few seconds.

“I suppose you would know.” Lexa said, then strode over to the far corner, behind Clarke, towards what was an oddly placed supply closet. As Clarke turned in her seat, Lexa pulled the door open, and disappeared inside. “Well, if you want to know…” Her voice sounded muffled and it was getting far away. Clarke hastily grabbed her things and followed Lexa. It wasn’t a closet at all. The door led into a short corridor that ran somewhat parallel with the remaining length of the classroom, and towards another, older one, that Lexa was currently undoing the iron latch to. “What is this?” 

Lexa didn’t answer, but shoved at the door, grunting a little. “It always catches a bit.” After wiggling it around, it shifted. Lexa grabbed the ring holding the door in place, and yanked hard. It groaned open, reluctantly, and Lexa dragged it until there was light filtering in. “After you.” She motioned for Clarke to walk through.

Clarke stepped into the space, not knowing what to expect, as Lexa followed. They were in what could only be described as a secret garden, surrounded by classrooms on all four sides. The windows that had once looked into it had long since been boarded up, and it was safe to say no one had been in there for a long time. The garden was overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, splashed across the lush green in smatterings of vibrance and contrast. Above them, a silver maple tree dappled the sunlight, and a little bench sat invitingly underneath it. Clarke turned to look at Lexa with a wide smile on her face, who seemed to be waiting for her reaction. “Lexa, this is gorgeous!”

Lexa smiled shyly. “Yeah, I thought you umm, might like to sketch it. I’ve seen your artwork in the studio. Seems like you like nature scapes.” 

Clarke felt her face soften. _So Lexa definitely had been paying attention._ “Well, these days, mostly, yes.” She paused. “I like doing portraits, too. But haven’t found a particularly inspiring model. Yet.” She watched Lexa lick her lips as she tried to come up with words. She walked over to the bench and sat down. “How did you find this place?”

“I was in here late one night, closing up after Debate Club. And opened that door to store our podium, but you know, found this instead. Don’t think anyone else has found it; at least not that I know of.” She half turned away from Clarke. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Clarke looked up at her. “Or you could bring your stuff and join me?”

Lexa nodded once, and walked back into the classroom. She was back in a few minutes, with her own bag. Clarke patted the bench next to her, and Lexa sat down as far away as she could which, considering how small the bench was, wasn’t very much farther. Clarke could feel the heat radiating between her left leg and Lexa’s right; she shifted in her seat, feeling a little heady. She watched Lexa pull out her math textbook and rest it on her lap, as she began working out problems in the small notebook she had placed on top of it. Opening up to a blank page, Clarke began sketching the outlines of the tree. They worked together in silence for some time, with the only sounds being the scratching of their pencils and the light breeze in the tree. Clarke, gradually lulled into her work, found that she was surprisingly relaxed with Lexa next to her.

“Why do you do it?” Lexa asked quietly, without looking up from her work.

“Break all the rules I can?” Clarke looked sideways at Lexa, who nodded. “Why not? They’re meaningless, frankly. Like, what are all the assembling, and knotted ties and disciplinary actions actually teaching us? They won’t even talk about the really important stuff.” Clarke tucked her hair behind one ear as she went back to her sketch. “All they want to do is control us.”

Lexa looked up from her books. “You really hate it here, huh?”

Clarke shook her head. “I only hate St. Zelda’s because of how awful Sister Nia is, honestly. She’s just so damn insular. And no, no I didn’t always hate Catholic school as much, though I never really liked it. But it was bearable.”

Lexa hummed thoughtfully. “So what changed?”

Clarke took in a deep breath; this was treading on shaky ground, and the only person she had spoken to about it here was Raven. Was she ready to tell _Lexa_ , of all people, about it? She was surprised at her own willingness to open up to her so quickly. “You really want to know?” Lexa nodded, looking at her expectantly. “I was raised Catholic; mass every Sunday, catechism, Lent, the works.” She waved her hand around as she spoke. “So it only made sense to my parents that I go to Catholic school. But it never really made sense to me. Like what did these crazy rules around spotless socks and restraint around even _talking_ to boys have to do with Catholicism? And the fact that the nuns, who keep telling us they are doing God’s work, won’t even acknowledge the most natural stuff, like the spectra of gender and sexuality _exist_ and are totally fine _,_ when all I’ve ever been taught is that God loves everyone equally, is just so fucking confusing.” Clarke paused, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. “I’m sorry, this just makes me so damn mad.” Lexa nodded, but didn’t interrupt; she was listening, rapt. Clarke continued on. “Anyway, Catholic school really made me uncomfortable, because I just couldn’t reconcile that anything I believed in so strongly, any faith I had, would actually make me or people I care about feel like such shit. But I learnt to make my own space in Catholicism itself, so it was mostly okay.” She looked at Lexa. “Sure you want me to go on? Don’t want you to question your faith, too.”

Lexa's eyes were gentle. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know, Clarke. And not that this would have made any difference, but I’m not Catholic. My guardians are, so they picked my school when they adopted me out of the foster system.”

Clarke tilted her head sideways, even more intrigued by Lexa now. “Huh. Well, okay. So, my dad got really sick with cancer, and died a little over a year ago. We were close, and I did everything I was told to, prayed as hard as I could, said a million Hail Marys for God to save him.” She was tearing up now, but she kept going. “So when he died anyway, I just began questioning it all. And I guess I still am.” She was quiet for a few minutes, as she tried to compose herself. It took her a minute to realize Lexa was holding her hand out to her. Sniffing, she took it tentatively. 

“So do you not believe in Catholicism anymore?” Lexa asked, rubbing her thumb gently over the back of Clarke’s hand.

Clarke shook her head. “See that’s exactly it; I don’t know. I feel like I do, but I need some time, and space, to figure it all out.” She motioned around with her free hand. “And this, all these rules, all this constant mindless shoving of how to think, and feel, and _be_ down our throats, is just...garrotting.” She looked up at Lexa. “I just want to figure it out for myself; and I feel like the nuns are determined to stop that from happening, because they insist on total compliance, _like all of the time_.” She looked over at Lexa, trying to judge her reaction. That had felt really good, getting it off her chest.

Lexa was quiet for a few moments; then, she raised her head to look into Clarke’s eyes. “I get that.” She said simply. 

Clarke found herself smiling back; it was amazing how Lexa could convey so much by saying so little. “So, yeah. That’s why I’m the queen of detention around here. What about you? Why do you care so much about the rules, Miss Class President?” She couldn’t help it, she wanted to get under Lexa’s skin.

To her amazement, Lexa let out a loud laugh. “I don’t, Clarke. Not like you think I do. They’re just...easy to follow if you know what you want out of them.”

Clarke’s forehead wrinkled with confusion. “And what could that possibly be?”

Lexa winked at her. “To be left alone. To fly under the radar and understand how the rules work, so I can decide which ones to change, and which ones to bend and how much, when I get the chance to.” She paused. “It’s more of a life lesson, really. I’m hoping I’ll be able to use it to my advantage when I’m a civil rights lawyer someday.” She looked down to their hands, which were still intertwined. “So you see, we want the same things, really. We’re just standing on opposite sides of the fence.”

Clarke followed her gaze, and blushed; her hand in Lexa’s had felt so right, she hadn’t even noticed it still being there. But maybe Lexa was just being nice in the moment? Reluctantly, she pulled away. “Yeah, we just go about it in different ways, I guess. I can see that.” She looked around. “By the way, what if we get caught here? Sister Nia will throw a fit.”

Lexa’s smirk was cocky. “We won’t.”

Clarke gulped, then returned one of her own. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because she trusts me. And because I follow the rules, remember?”

Clarke reached into her bag, and pulled out a metal box of mints. Opening it, she held a half smoked joint in between her fingers. “So you won’t mind if I test that theory?” She locked eyes with Lexa. It was a challenge, and they both knew it. She watched Lexa’s eyes darken, and the muscle in her jaw clench and unclench a few times. “No, go ahead.”

 _Huh._ She lit it and took a hit, exhaling the smoke above their heads in small, slow puffs. She held it out to Lexa, who hesitated, then took a quick, but deep hit. _This wasn’t her first rodeo, either_ , Clarke realized. They finished the rest of it in silence, not taking their eyes off each other. Clarke put out the joint in the grass, and slipped the remnants back inside the box. “Well, I hope you broke your rule abiding streak for a good reason.” 

She hadn’t realized it, but Lexa was somehow closer to her now than she had been before. “I did. It’s sitting right here beside me.” Lexa’s eyes fell down to Clarke’s lips; before she knew what was happening, her face was inches apart from Lexa’s. They were going to kiss, and this wasn’t even one of her dreams. Clarke closed her eyes, and leaned in, waiting to feel Lexa against her mouth. 

Except the loud beeping from Lexa’s watch made them jump apart suddenly. Lexa looked furious for a second, then slapped the alarm off; her eyes searched Clarke’s, but the spell was broken. “That’s umm, that’s the end of detention. We should leave.”

Clarke nodded, wordlessly, trying to quell her disappointment and to stop her head from spinning. She gathered her things, and handed Lexa a small bottle of clothes freshener and a mint from her bag. They did the best they could to minimize the smell of the weed wafting off them, and slipped out of the back door of the school once they were back inside the building. Clarke’s heart was pounding as she looked at Lexa. “So yeah, thanks, Lexa. Can’t say I’ve had a more pleasant detention experience before.”

Lexa’s voice had a slight tremor to it. “Let’s hope it’s your last one ever. See you tomorrow, Clarke.” Her eyes were even more intense, and Clarke wasn't sure if it was just the weed.

They walked off in opposite directions; Clarke didn’t know which side of her world was up anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should remember, every once in a while, to post that I'm on Tumblr: [Come say hi if you like](https://anansianansi.tumblr.com/), or leave me a comment here. Whatever floats your boat.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning here folx: some frank discussion of the collision of religion, gender and sexuality.

“She did what?” Raven sat up straighter in her seat in the cafeteria. “You almost kissed?” 

Clarke looked around, then at her salad on the table. “Once more for the hockey team at the back.” She pointed across the room with her fork. “Don’t think they quite caught that.” 

Raven rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll keep it down. But like, this is huge, right?” Raven tried piercing a pea on her plate and watched it leap off the table, only to be squashed underfoot by a passing student. “Ewww.” She watched the track marks with disgust, her nose scrunching up, before turning back to Clarke. “Anyway, so what now? Are you going to ask her out?”

Clarke chewed on a piece of lettuce thoughtfully. “Dunno yet. I haven’t even seen her today; and I’m kind of hoping we’ll get to hang out a bit more first.” Secretly, she was a little hurt that Lexa hadn’t come to find her, but then she reminded herself that she wasn’t really obligated to. Nothing had happened between them. Almost nothing. That hadn’t prevented her from thinking about Lexa nonstop, though. Was it weird to miss a person after spending only an hour with them? Clarke half-listened to Raven chatter on; she knew Lexa rarely ate in the cafeteria, and they didn’t have any classes together for the remainder of the day. By the end of lunch, she had an idea.

******

“Hey, Lexa.” Clarke pushed herself off the fence that blocked off the school’s field. Lexa, who was walking out of the gym chatting with a couple of her teammates, paused when she saw Clarke. “Clarke. Hey.” She turned to her friends. “I’ll catch up.” 

Clarke tried to keep her ogling as composed as she could, but the sight of Lexa’s long, long legs in the shortest of shorts made it hard for her to focus on anything but the thought of having them wrapped around…

“Clarke?” Lexa was looking at her, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Shit. “Yeah, yeah. I uh, just wanted to come by and say thanks again. For yesterday. You made something awful and tedious quite...fun.” Clarke played with her tie, suddenly self-conscious. Could she sound any more stilted? She had to up her game if this was going to go anywhere.

Lexa’s slow nod and soft smile helped her out a bit. “Thanks. You’re welcome. I had a...nice time, too.” Lexa looked down at the ground and began scratching nonsensical patterns in the grass with her foot. They were silent for a few seconds.

“Do you want to, maybe study together this week? I hear you’re acing biology.” Lexa’s head shot up. “Sure. Any topics you want to go over?”

Clarke had a sudden, wicked thought. “Maybe we could go over the anatomy section?” She batted her eyelashes at Lexa, watching her flush red to her roots of her hair. 

“Like the anatomy of….fruit flies?” Lexa’s usually soft voice rose a couple of pitches, and her eyes were panicked orbs swallowing her face. 

“Oh, no, I meant _human_ anatomy, you know, the female reproductive system….all that fun stuff.” Clarke congratulated herself for faking the innocence in her tone even as she watched Lexa squirm before her. “How about tomorrow evening?” 

Lexa cleared her throat. “Yeah. Cool. Anatomy. Let’s do that.” She looked so adorably out of sorts, Clarke had to stop herself from planting one on her on the spot.

“Okay, so I’ll see you outside the main entrance. We can pick a place then.” She aimed her most coquettish smile at Lexa. “Good luck at practice. Bye, Lexa.” She turned and walked away slowly. 

Lexa was having trouble forming words, it seemed. “Bye, Clarke.” She heard her voice in the distance a few seconds later. Mission accomplished. Clarke smiled to herself all the way home. 

******

On Thursday morning, Clarke hummed to herself as she strode along to English. This was the first time in a while she wasn’t rushing, usually just under the wire. Most days, she managed to skid into class as the bell rang, so this was a nice change; maybe there was something to be said for being on time. Besides, she was hoping to “accidentally” run into Lexa, and just the possibility of that happening had made getting out of bed so much easier that morning. She heard voices as she came up to the corner; she recognised Sister Nia’s imperious tone and winced, instinctively. It grated on her nerves even more than usual first thing in the morning. She didn’t envy whoever was at the receiving end of it. 

“But Sister, my final recommendation needs to be in by the end of next week. The college admissions counsellor was quite clear that my offer for the track scholarship is contingent on it.”

“Miss Woods, you know quite well that any letters of recommendation from me are only issued after final grades are posted.” Sister Nia paused. “Any exceptions to the rule would need some sort of guarantee from you that your performance for the remainder of the school year would not, in any way, be….compromised.”

Clarke’s brow furrowed in annoyance. Why did Sister Nia have to act like everything she did was a huge favour to human kind? She rolled her eyes. Her God complex was getting really old.

She heard Lexa clear her throat. “I don’t see any reason why it would be. You’re aware of my consistently high grades and class standing, Sister. There’s no reason why that would change now.” 

“Grades are only one factor, Miss Woods. I find it’s more the social aspects of things that seniors tend to fall short on, especially in the final weeks of school.” Clarke could _hear_ the manipulation in Sister Nia’s tone. Don’t fall for it, Lexa, whatever she means by that. She’s got nothing on you.

“Well, there’s nothing to be worried about, Sister. I assure you.” Lexa paused. “May I expect my letter by next Tuesday? That would ensure it arrives at the college in time.”

Sister Nia’s obnoxiously loud footsteps began clattering down the hallway. “Very well, Miss Woods. Come by then. And don’t disappoint me.”

Clarke was fuming by the time the exchange was over. She turned into the corridor, and found Lexa rooted in her spot, staring after Sister Nia’s retreating back, her face expressionless. “Hey. You okay?” Lexa looked startled at seeing her. “Sorry, I was heading to class, and I overheard some of that. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” She watched Sister Nia stop by a classroom, and peek in. Leaning in to Lexa, she whispered conspiratorially. “What a shitty person she is, huh?”

To her shock, Lexa shot her a look of annoyance. “Yeah, well, not all of us can get away with being so recklessly honest all of the time.” Clarke stepped back as if she had been slapped. “What? No, Lexa, I was joking. Kind of.” She paused, suddenly feeling stupid. “She’s being awful to you. It just made me mad.”

Lexa was looking away into the distance again, at Sister Nia, who had trained her gaze firmly onto them. “It’s okay. Thanks, but you don’t need to worry about me.” Lexa said without looking at her. 

Clarke backed away, trying to hide the hurt welling up inside. “Okay, well, sorry again. I’ll leave you alone.” She began walking away, then stopped and turned to Lexa. “Are we still on for this afternoon?” That caught Lexa’s attention. She gave Clarke a small smile. “Yes, we are. I’ll see you then.” Clarke felt relief rush through her. Maybe Lexa was just stressed out because of Sister Nia. “Okay. I’m looking forward to it.” Clarke ignored the tingling of her sixth sense as she made her way to class.

******

_[5:47 PM] How’s study time with Sexy Lexy going?_

Clarke looked down at Raven’s message on her phone. She scowled and typed back. 

_[5:48 PM] She fucking stood me up._

_[5:48 PM] What? WTF, Woods. Not cool. Do you think something came up?_

_[5:49 PM] Apart from her not being able to get her head out of her ass, I don’t think so._

_[5:50 PM] LOL. Want to come over? We can binge on Netflix and shit talk her._

Clarke smiled in spite of herself. 

_[5:51 PM] Thanks, Ray, but I’m okay. Think I’ll stay in and actually get some studying done._

_[5:52 PM] Okay, call me if you want to vent. And we’ll take Woods down together tomorrow. Love you. Xx_

Clarke sighed, as she put away her phone. Rejection hurt, even when she had half expected it after Lexa’s behaviour this morning. She just couldn’t wrap her head around it; why did Lexa give Sister Nia so much power over her? It was all a game, and if Lexa hadn’t pushed her away, she could have told her that. Turning to her books, Clarke felt something like resoluteness rise up within her. She was done with Lexa’s standoffishness; no one, not even her biggest crush, was going to treat her like this and get away with it. She deserved better than that.

******

“Clarke!” Lexa was calling to her as she entered the main gate. She kept walking. “Clarke!” She heard hurried footsteps behind her, and ignored them. “CLARKE!” She felt a hand on her shoulder, willing her to stop.

“What?” Clarke swung around, breathing hard. She had promised herself she wouldn’t let Lexa see how she had affected her. She took in a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “What do you want, Lexa?”

“Clarke, I’m sorry. For not showing up yesterday.” She’d never seen Lexa look so conflicted; come to think of it, apart from the brief time they had spent together, she barely knew anything about Lexa at all. “Something came up at the last minute.” Lexa’s eyes dropped to the ground; she was such a terrible liar. 

“Whatever, Lexa. You do you. You could have done me the courtesy of a message, though.” 

“I, I didn’t have your number. I’m sorry, I should have tried harder to let you know. I just got...held up.”

Clarke felt her annoyance rising. “By what? Your need to suck up to Sister Nia?” She watched Lexa’s face fall; she wished it wasn’t true, but she knew she had hit the mark. “You know what? Don’t bother answering that.” She began walking away.

“Clarke, I can’t lose my chance at the track scholarship. You heard her….” Lexa trailed off, realizing what she was about to say. 

Clarke’s laugh was short and bitter. “I did. Don’t worry, I get it. You don’t want to be compromising the “social aspects” of your performance in the final weeks of school. With me.” She turned away quickly, not wanting Lexa to see her tears welling up in her eyes. “I guess I’m not worth bending that rule for.” Lexa’s voice, full of emotion as it called out to her, echoed in her ears all the way to class.

******

By the time Morality Studies rolled around, Clarke was in the foulest mood she could remember in a long time. Fridays were the days she had the most classes in common with Lexa, and she was tired from the sheer amount of energy it had taken just to ignore her. Lexa, on the other hand, had tried and failed consistently to catch her attention all morning. She walked into class and took her place next to Raven, who was currently glaring at Lexa for the fourth time. “She leaving you alone yet?”

Clarke shrugged. “I guess. She hasn’t come up to me after earlier. So there’s that, at least.” She stole a glance at Lexa, who was currently looking down at her notebook, a frown creasing her forehead, her shoulders slumped downwards, her lips in a pronounced pout. Huh. At the very least, she didn’t look too thrilled with life. Clarke took a little solace in that fact. 

“I’m sorry, Clarke. I always thought Woods was a stickler for the rules, but I never pegged her for a suck up.” Raven shook her head. “This place does strange things to people.” 

Clarke nodded. “Yeah, guess the pressure gets to everyone, eventually.” She winked at Raven. “Almost everyone. Thanks, Ray.”

“You’re totally welcome.” Raven grinned at her. “But, err, for what?”

“For keeping it real.” Clarke smiled at her affectionately; it was true. She wouldn’t have survived this year without Raven.

The door opened, and Sister Florence shuffled in, her timid footsteps even more measured than usual. In a few seconds, it was clear why; Sister Nia, her face set in a self-satisfied smile, marched in after her, shutting the door. “Good afternoon, students. As we’ve had a few….interruptions in this class so far….” Her icy eyes rested on Clarke’s face, boring into her, “....Sister Florence has asked me to co-teach with her today.” 

Clarke groaned inwardly. Of course. Today would be the day. She scowled at Sister Nia, who was leaning against the front of the desk, arms crossed as she surveyed the room. Well, bring it on, Sister. She was in a fighting kind of mood anyway. 

Sister Nia began. “As we know, our teaching in this class is focused on providing you with the state-wide sexual education curriculum, through the lens of the Catholic faith.”

Clarke had to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes. She looked down at her hands, avoiding eye contact with Lexa, who had just taken to flat out staring at her. “In that vein, let us recap some of the topics Sister Florence has discussed with you briefly, before we move onto others for today.” 

Clarke opened her notebook, and began doodling as she listened to Sister Nia drone on about the standard fare she had been hearing since the beginning of high school. 

“...And so, sexual intimacy is a deep commitment between a man and a woman truly giving themselves to one another under the beautiful institution of marriage. In its most pure form, it is a gift from God celebrating the natural purpose of male and female bodies, which of course, is to procreate.”

Raven put her hand up. “Okay, but Sister Nia, are you saying that that, in this day and age, we’re seriously expected to _not_ have sex a) before marriage, and b) for fun?” There were a few sniggers from the class. Clarke quirked an eyebrow without raising her head from her drawing. She was currently focused on perfecting Sister Nia’s left horn in her sketch, shading it with more care than usual.

“Well, Miss Reyes, in a perfect world, that would be the case indeed.” Raven’s brow was a study in the trenches of confusion. “But since we are in _this day and age_ , as you say, that can’t be expected of all of us. The temptations are great and varied, this is true. But that is precisely why we have talked about safe sex methods, as a fallback, if one is….too weak to resist. I would hope however, that the values we have instilled here would prevent that from happening as much as possible.” Sister Nia’s smile was no more than a razor on her face. She looked down at the textbook in front of her.

Raven’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she turned to look at Clarke. “Is she for real?” she whispered to her quietly. Clarke, nostrils flaring, nodded vigorously, but kept her mouth shut. She was suddenly tired of it all. Maybe this wasn’t the day to pick another fight with Sister Nia. She looked over at Lexa, arms crossed, listening impassively, stoic as ever. What was even the point of fighting, honestly? It got you nothing but heartache in the end.

“Excuse me, Sister?” Octavia raised her hand. “Can we talk about the document the Vatican issued during Pride Month last year? The one rejecting transgenderism?” Clarke bit her lip, trying to hold back a grin. It seems like her classmates didn’t need any help from her in “disrupting” class today.

Sister Nia looked up, taken aback. She opened and shut her mouth quickly a couple of times, then forced her face into a smirk again. “What of it, Miss Blake?”

“Well, it’s _wrong_ , for one. And frankly, disturbing. How can you just dismiss anything outside the binary as being unnatural?”

Sister Nia crossed her arms, folding in on herself; if it was possible, she looked like a human spring, ready to uncoil and explode with a little more prodding. “Miss Blake, if you have taken the time to read the document, you will note that it is consistent with the Church’s teachings on preserving the family unit. It’s quite clear the issue of varied gender identities is contrary to the Catholic faith.”

“Issue? How is this an issue? It’s like an actual scientific _thing._ ” Octavia countered. Sister Nia eyes glinted with badly concealed rage. 

“Umm, Sister Nia…” Sister Florence’s meek voice infiltrated the tension in the air.

“Yes, Sister Florence?” Sister Nia’s head whipped around. She clearly wasn’t expecting to be interrupted.

“Well, we’ve been taking a slightly, how shall I put it, _softer_ approach to gender identities in this class. For instance, it might be worth mentioning that the document has been criticised by a number of Catholic clergy for failing to actually take lived experiences of transgender individuals into account.” Sister Florence clasped her hands to her chest. “And of course, there are a number of denominations of the Church that are accepting of the varying gender identities of its members, as long as they adhere to other values….such as _chastity._ ” The nuns exchanged a silent glance; when Sister Nia turned back to Octavia, she was back to her supercilious self. “Of course, Miss Blake, Sister Florence is absolutely correct. God loves everyone equally, and it is our duty as His children to respect and uphold the values He has outlined for us.” 

“But that doesn’t answer my question. The Vatican’s stance flat out dehumanises transgender people!” Octavia’s doggedness was impressive. Clarke flashed her an encouraging smile.

“I’m afraid we must move on, Miss Blake. We have much to discuss in the last class on this subject of the year.” Sister Nia waved her hand dismissively at Octavia. “You would do well to read up on these issues on your time, if they remain of interest.” She raised her chin. “I will of course, be happy to answer any questions you may have, if you wouldn’t mind stopping by my office.” Clarke snorted under her breath. As if anyone in their right minds would actually take her up on the offer.

“Now, turning to the final topic of discussion: Chastity. It has come up numerous times in the past. So, I think we should throw the floor open to discuss specific points on chastity as a way to uphold God’s natural law of things.”

Clarke raised her hand; she was feeling bold after watching her friends’ try and stand up to the nuns. “What about chastity and sexual orientations?”

Sister Nia’s eyes narrowed. “Well, that’s quite clear. Homosexuals, like everyone else, are to be treated with love, respect and compassion…..” Her voice was practically dripping with condescension.

Clarke felt the heat rising to her cheeks. This was a bad idea after all. “We don’t need your pity.” 

“Excuse me?” Sister Nia’s pale face had a strange glow to it. 

“There’s nothing wrong with us.” She pointed to Raven and Octavia, referring to their questions from earlier. “Or anyone else who doesn’t quite fit right, according to you. What about _homosexual acts, Sister?”_

Sister Nia’s voice was shriller; Clarke could sense she was getting close to her limit. “Well, homosexual acts are under no circumstances to be approved.” She began walking closer to Clarke’s seat. “However, homosexuals, and everyone else, are expected to overcome their trials through chastity.”

Clarke laughed out loud. “Trials? I hardly think my attraction to women is torture.” At least not in the way the Church thought. Lexa was a different kind of pain altogether. 

“Miss Griffin, homosexuals, like everyone else, can achieve Christian perfection through self-mastery….”

Clarke couldn’t help herself. “....So, like masturbation?”

Sister Nia ignored her, and kept up her slow pace towards Clarke. “....prayer….”

“You can’t pray away the gay! Or anything else we’re talking about: What is wrong with you?”

“....And disinterested friendship.”

“...So, like you and Sister Florence?”

“Clarke.” She heard Lexa’s voice through the blood rushing around in her ears. Lexa was shaking her head, willing her to back off. But if anything, it made her even more determined to stand her ground, push back, and pretty much do the exact opposite of what Lexa was asking of her. “Say something. You _know_ I’m right.” She burst out, staring at Lexa, whose eyes blazed with a light she couldn’t understand. She could barely stand to look at her.

Sister Nia was at her seat now. She leaned in slightly, ready to deliver the final blow. “Miss Griffin, none of what I am saying should come as a surprise. Especially not for someone raised _properly_ in the Catholic faith.”

Something inside of Clarke snapped then. She stood up, eye-to-eye with Sister Nia. “You have no _right_ to question my faith. It’s because of it that I can call out your bullshit.”

“That’s enough! Your insolence will not be tolerated…..”

“You know what, you don’t even have to say it, Sister. I’m taking myself to detention. Right now.” Picking up her things, Clarke stormed out of the classroom, straight past Lexa and without a second glance at her. She was shaking with fury as she made her way to the usual detention room. Slamming the door shut, she sat down in the far corner, resting her head against her hands. None of it made any sense, and she was so done with them all. If she hadn’t been automatically suspended yet, she was going to talk to her mother about signing her out of school for a few days next week. For the sake of her mental health, and her damn heart, it would count as sick leave. She sighed, waiting for the school bell to ring, so she could do her time for the day and go home.

The tension in the room was so heavy after Clarke’s departure, a number of students squirmed in their seats. Sister Nia’s eyes followed Clarke out of the classroom, a malicious satisfaction settling on her face. She headed to the front. Turning to the class, she asked, “Now, where were we?”

“That wasn’t right. She didn’t deserve detention.” Sister Nia’s head snapped in the direction of the voice. “Insolence is not tolerated here, Miss Woods. You are fully aware of that.”

Lexa sat up straighter. “She wasn’t being insolent. She was asking perfectly legitimate questions. Like the others, who are still here. You picked on her. You made sure she would end up in detention.” 

Sister Nia clenched her fists by her side. “Miss Woods, are you implying that I bully my students?” Nothing moved in Lexa’s face, except her eyes, which shuffled back and forth between Sister Nia’s. “Choose your words carefully.” Sister Nia egged her on. 

Lexa filled her lungs with a deep breath and let it out. “I am.” There was a collective gasp from the class. “And frankly, Jesus would be appalled by your behaviour.” The class erupted in a mixed rumbling of laughs, claps and cheers.

Sister Nia had gone completely taut; if someone didn’t know better, they could have thought she was an ice sculpture: beautiful, frigid and devastatingly cold. When she spoke, Lexa read her lips more than she heard the words over the commotion. “Out. Detention. Now.” 

Without another word, Lexa found her backpack and walked out, head held high, eyes clear, just as she heard the school bell jangling harshly through the halls.

******

Clarke looked up as the door swung open; she was wondering which nun would be sent to watch over her today. She frowned when Lexa appeared; seriously? Could this day get any shittier?

“You can tell Sister Nia there’s no need for you to ‘supervise’ me. I won’t give the nuns any more trouble.” 

Lexa didn’t say a word; instead, she walked over and sat down in the seat next to Clarke. 

What? What was going on? Before she had a chance to ask, Sister Margarita entered, closing the door behind her. Her usual calm demeanour was actually a welcome change; Clarke didn’t think she could handle another one of the more highly strung nuns right now. Dealing with Lexa was going to be enough of a pain. “Now ladies, I know you’ve both had a rough day. Let’s just say emotions are running quite high here today. So, I will make this easy on you. Turn in two pages of lines, so I have something to show Sister Nia, and you are free to go.” She smiled reassuringly at them both. Clarke and Lexa exchanged incredulous looks with each other. What was this, elementary school in the nineteenth century? “I suggest you get started. The quicker you finish, the faster you can leave. And no talking, please.”

Clarke shook her head. Whatever. She flipped open her poetry textbook, and began copying out _Song of Myself._ It was enough of a tome for the job, and besides, she was engrossed in Whitman within moments. A part of her was dying to ask Lexa what she was doing here, but the other part just wanted to get out of her presence. She would decide how she felt at the end of detention. Lexa seemed equally involved in what looked like her history textbook. She was scribbling away furiously; Clarke was sure she would finish first and leave, which is why she surprised herself when she was at the bottom of the second page, and Lexa seemed only halfway done with hers. Shrugging, she tore out the sheet from her notebook, and handed it to Sister Margarita. “Well done, Miss Griffin. And between you and me, that was brave of you to do.” Sister Margarita shifted her gaze to Lexa. “Both of you. I can’t say it didn’t need to be said. However, please do behave yourselves for the next few weeks. You are almost at the end of the road here. I want to see you succeed.”

Clarke smiled at her, caught off-guard. “I will, Sister, thank you.” She began packing up her things, intrigued. What had Lexa done? And why was she suddenly being congratulated for exactly the sort of thing that had gotten her into trouble all year? She looked up to a soft tapping on her desk. Lexa was holding out a note to her, her eyes entreating. Clarke took it from her fingers, nodding at her. Without another word, she walked out of class, pulling out her phone. 

_[5:11 PM] Clarke, when you’re out, call me. You’re not going to believe what happened._

_[5:12 PM] Actually, Lexa might tell you, but CALL ME ANYWAY._

She dialled Raven’s number. “What’s going on, Ray?”

“Dude, did you talk to Lexa? She’s a legend!”

“What? No, I….we couldn’t, Sister Margarita was in there with us. What did she do?”

“Clarke, she stood up for you. She called Sister Nia a bully. To her face. It was spectacular.” As she listened to Raven recount the scene, Clarke’s jaw dropped. Lexa. Lexa Woods, Class President, had done _what_ for her? 

“...So anyway, after you both left, the _entire_ class erupted. Basically, we told Sister Nia that if she punished either one of you anymore, we would all collectively sit out of classes for the next two weeks, and that she could explain that to our parents, and probably the local news.” Raven paused, giddy with delight. “And we’re writing up a formal complaint to the Board of Governors. Maybe we can be done with Sister Nia for real this time. Clarke, the whole school is talking about you two, it’s awesome!”

Clarke was flabbergasted. “Whoa. That’s….crazy, Raven. Man, I just can’t...I need a minute.” She raised a hand to her lips. “Actually, I need to go find Lexa.” She began backtracking to the school, hoping Lexa would still be there. “Can I call you later?”

“Yeah, go get your girl, Clarke, you should be jumping her bones right now. Damn, that’s so romantic. Ugh. I’ll just be here, making you sparkly rainbow sashes. Does ‘All Hail the Queens’ sound okay?”

Clarke laughed. “Ray, I love you. Make sure you do one called ‘World’s Best Friend’ for yourself. Later.”

She peeked into the classroom. Lexa seemed to be finishing up; leaning against the wall outside, she pulled out her note, and instantly found her face stretching into a huge smile. On the page, Lexa had written the same line over and over again:

_Clarke, I’m sorry. Will you go to prom with me?_

_Clarke, I’m sorry. Will you go to prom with me?_

_Clarke, I’m sorry. Will you go to prom with me?_

_Clarke, I’m sorry. Will you go to prom with me?_

_Clarke, I’m sorry. Will you go to prom with me?_

And so it went, until it filled both the front and back. She shook her head. This girl. Lexa walked out of the classroom, tucking her book into her bag. She seemed surprised to find Clarke standing there. “Clarke. Hi.” She looked down at Clarke’s hand. “You read my note?”

Without a word, Clarke reached for her hand, and led her down the hall to Mount Weather. She shut the door, jammed a desk against it, and dragged Lexa towards the back, towards the garden. Once they had managed to enter it, Clarke turned around and flung herself into Lexa, crashing their lips together. “Mmmph.” Lexa was caught off-guard for a moment, but she relaxed into the kiss, until their tongues were fighting, caressing and feeling each other frantically. This was the best first kiss Clarke had ever had, but she was rapidly running out of breath. Panting, she rested her forehead against Lexa’s, who seemed to be having an equally hard time staying afloat. “Answer’s yes, by the way.”

Lexa grinned at her shyly, holding her close. “Good. Though who knows, Sister Nia might come up with a 'No Clarke and Lexa rule' at prom.”

Clarke laughed. “Or you know, the current, obviously strongly implied ‘no homo’ one.” She played with a strand of Lexa’s hair. “Hey, I hear we’re famous. Maybe they’ll make a statue of us. And put it on a mountain top.”

Lexa chuckled. “Then they’ll give us a talking to, because they’ve got years of experience. I love that song.” They kissed all through their matching smiles.

Clarke shifted away first. “Seriously though, what about the rules around prom? Are you okay with going against them?”

Lexa hummed, then nodded once. “Some rules are made to be disobeyed.” As she pulled Lexa to her, Clarke thought she couldn’t have put it better herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, not all Catholic schools are created equal, obviously. And, because we're in the super emotional world of the The 100 characters, and I had some points to make, some of the drama is heightened. Most Catholic schools (including mine) weren't this rigid all of the time. But, the rest of it rings pretty true, sadly.
> 
> Also, Us. The song is Regina Spektor's [Us](https://youtu.be/fczPlmz-Vug).


End file.
